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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
“This is not as I expected to ever leave this couch after 15 years,” the Today co-host said this morning, when she announced today is her last day as a regular co-host on the NBC morning show. “They’re giving me some fancy new titles which essentially mean I’m going to get tickets to every big story we want to cover.” She now becomes Anchor at Large and National and International Correspondent for NBC News. She’ll cover global stories, anchor primetime specials and report for Today, Nightly News, Rock Center, Dateline and MSNBC, as well as digital properties.
Related: Ann Curry Confirms Exit From ‘Today’, Will Lead NBC News-Gathering Team Of 7
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wow. ann curry really got the cold-hearted “gas face” from NBC. and it is a damn shame, too, because of all the people in the so-called glittering world of blow-dried journalism she is actually a gumshoe, get-off-the-couch reporter who has ventured into some damn tough zip codes to confront famine, warlords and the very kinds of stories/issues that, in the best journalistic sense, comfort the afflicted. It’s ineffably painful watching this video and seeing what appears to be matt lauer’s “judas move” because he surely had to sign off on ann’s ouster when he signed the mega-deal contract to remain as host. I mean, if he wanted her to stay, he could have made it happen. I guess that’s why they call it show business, not show friends…
Couldn’t agree more. Lauer’s a Judas and Ann Curry was THE CLASS of TODAY.
To summarize:
“She brought grace and charm to the morning newscast and I think NBC should be ashamed at themselves as to how they handled this.”
“I always liked Ann and her work. She always seemed like she got more enjoyment reporting from the Sudan then interviewing…boring celebrities promoting their latest work.”
“She’s a solid reporter…”
“An absolute class act, cannot BELIEVE they let her go. She was my entire reason for watching the show. I can’t watch it anymore knowing that someone who contributed so much grace and wisdom was kicked to the curb this way.”
That being said:
“Ann leaves with a 10 Million dollar salary… The average working American gets a pink slip and, with luck, a few weeks severance…sometimes. Let’s keep it all in perspective.”
So! Let’s hope Ann is finally free of the constraints of being surrounded by idiots…perhaps she can spread her wings…WORK…SHINE…and be happy!
I totally agree. Ann Curry was a class act and had the journalistic credentials to do real hard news stories. It’s unfortunate that NBC treated her the way they did. She’s being blamed entirely for the ratings decline on the “Today” show, when I think other factors are to blame — most notably the fact that the entire network’s ratings are on a downward trajectory. I like Savannah and Natalie (still can’t tell which is which), but I will miss Ann.
Decisions like this is exactly why NBC is on its last legs and the other two networks know it. And, it’s why there is no loyalty to companies anymore. 20 years and this is what she gets. So NBC whomever is making the programming decisions that include firing Ann Curry from Today and dropping Kathy Bates in “Harry’s Law” and simultaneously alienating one of the great writing talents in Hollywood, David Kelly, you’re the one who should be taking a hike. Oh, that’s right, you’re too busy putting a Monkey Doctor on TV next September or trying to resurrect the two time failed sitcom star Matthew Perry or making the brilliant decision to keep Will Arnet, Christina Applegate and Whitney Cummings employed on sitcoms that aren’t funny and don’t stand a chance of success. IT’S NUMBER 4 POSITION FOR YOU NEXT YEAR BECAUSE EVEN FOX HAS MORE SENSE THAN YOU DO!!!!! God Bless you, Ann, and go over to CBS as soon as you can.
GMA will be number one next week. Guthrie is annoying and we are sic of matts arrogance and elitism.
This was beautiful!
I can not believe what NBC had just done. It’s the biggest mistake they have done. They don’t get what the Today Show means. It’s a family show and you don’t thru out a family member when things are getting weak. That’s when you hold everything together and get more strength. To Ann: whit tears on my eyes and pain on my heart I which you all the best for you. I just lost a family member, but you always will be on my mornings with your soft voice and your kindness. You are the only sweet in the show. Love you.
Conan O’Brien, Ann Curry who’s next? Can’t they get right the first time.
I always liked Ann and her work. She always seemed like she got more enjoyment reporting from the Sudan then interviewing the freak of the week such as the tanorexic mom, the hiccupping girl or boring celebrities promoting their latest work. I can’t wait to see Ann do some serious reporting now. Savannah and her annoying voice will not halt the ratings slide.
Duke, you are absolutely correct. She services the show much better as a news correspondent reporting from the Sudan or Egypt or giving us the headlines from the news desk. Interviewing was not her forte. The very sad part of this is that someone should have seen it before the shift was made. Not all skills are transferable. I would love to see Tamron Hall and Matt Lauer cohosting.
I like Ann Curry. I find it hard to believe she’s the sole reason for the ratings slump. She’s the human equivalent of a warm, syrupy, hug. And although maybe that’s not the best persona to go with when you’re interviewing Putin, it works pretty damn well when you’re critiquing Guacamole.
GMA here I come. I was a loyal Today watcher for decades but if they can’t be loyal to their people why should I be loyal to them. Ann was and is one of the most humane compassionate people they have/had on that show. They just ripped out their heart.
Ann just got Conan-ized by NBC and unfortunately for her she decided the stay with the hand that hit her instead of following Conan’s lead and moving on to other pastures.
I like Ann Curry, but I never felt like she was the right fit to co-host the Today show. There’s that certain ‘it factor’ that the best of co-hosts have shared, namely a bubbly personality. I respect Ann as a journalist and am glad she’s going to be covering the meatier news stories that she excels at. But I’m also ready for the Today show to be a little more fun the way Robin Roberts and crew hosts Good Morning America
and my dial no longer goes to NBC. scumbags.
Real nice NBC. Never cared for the Today show but on the few chances I’ve watched over the years she was the best.
Is this NBC’s new tradition? Conan, Katie, Ann.. Who’s next?
Ann is great reporter, and not the best interviewer… different skill-sets, but NBC knew this for years. Reporters talk, interviewers listen, follow up, and listen some more. Not what she does. She’s be amazing in this new roll.
That said, the Morning TV ratings wok in cycles that are in direct proportion to PrimeTime ratings. If Network Prime is #1, the 11pm local news is #1 usually, and those television sets that are turned off on a channel at late at night tend to wake up with those same channels on in the am….
The problem here is the NBC Network overall, and not Ann, or even the Today Show for that matter.
Day Parts are still a real thing, and “flow” still happens… even in this “multi platform” era.
SB
I always liked Ann. Shes a classy lady. She was one of NBC’s better journalists . She got screwed.
NBC is really classless when it comes to handling this show and its firings
The Today Show, and the other morning fluffs, are some of the worst programming on TV. They were essentially the first step away from real news, towards entertainment and ratings. The hosts are as fake as plastic, the stories are the equivalent to watching You Tube cat videos, and the tourists who gather around trying to get on TV are delusional. It’s a waste of air time and it panders to the movement to further dumb down our society.
Like Ann Curry.
Sorry to see her obviously unhappy as she is shown the door to Today.
Yet, somehow, I do not feel too sorry because Ann leaves with a 10 Million dollar salary (paid off , I believe) and an opportunity to put together her own team to cover a wide array of stories. Of course, she will continue to receive a large salary, benefits and retirement plan.
Yes, she has to suffer the slings and arrows of corporate thinking, but she gets paid off quite well for their decision.
The average working American gets a pink slip and, with luck, a few weeks severance…sometimes.
Let’s keep it all in perspective.
I always enjoy reading your comments even if I don’t always agree with them.
Hey Well put,
Thank You.
And, for the record, I don’t always agree with my comments either.
Cheers
I like Ann. She is beautiful and charming and warm and a familiar presence at Today.
The fact remains that all these attributes do not add up to having the chops to hold the centre seat. It was always clear that although she had beauty, charm and compassion she lacked intelligence “on the fly”. Quick thinking on her interviewing perch. She was simply out of her depth on the set. This is not to say that she didn’t have great skills in the field, it is clear that she is a a good, if not great, reporter. But an anchor she is not.
I, for one, found her mannered, whispered questions to the tragically injured or the bereaved annoying. It was schlock journalism. It was meant to be kind, and I am sure that was how Ann felt but it rang false to me and did not in the end manage to shed more light on the subject at hand; too much time was spent needlessly pandering rather than asking pertinent, illuminating and penetrating questions.
As a correspondent she is really in her element. On Dateline she is a great talent and when she subs for the news she is a welcome sight. But the fact remains that she was always an odd fit on Today. For one, as news reader she could not read the prompter. How often did we all sit in wonderment as she garbled syntax and sentence? How many times did she say, “…rather…” and replace a misplaced word in correction? Answer: lots and lots. Beautiful and charming though she is, reading is not a skill she possesses in abundance and it was a distraction to the serious parts of the Today Show.
I wish Ann the very best in her future work as an Editor-at-Large. She will be able shoot stories and cover big event with the luxury of time to edit and reflect before broadcast, this is perfect for someone with her obvious gifts. She will remain a star at NBC and will continue to shed light on important stories world wide and this is good for us all. This decision by the NBC brass is well taken, however, and not without reason. It is a very tough moment for dear Ann but it is the right move for this enduring program.
I couldn’t agree with you more.
I really do love Ann Curry, and when she was tapped to replace Merdith Viera I was really happy for her. Yet, watching her anchor on the Today show has been painful. I don’t understand all these comments that act like Ann is the perfect Today show anchor. When she does serious interviews, she takes on this disingenuous persona- she starts whispering, awkwardly placing her hand on the subject’s arm, and forcing what I’m sure she thinks is a compassionate face. I kept hoping it would get better, but it didn’t.
I’m not saying this to trash Ann. I think she is an incredibly brilliant, beautiful woman, and I wish her the best. But I really think her talents are better served being an international correspondent and reporting harrowing news stories from countries like Sudan, Egypt,or Syria. That’s where she truly shines, and she’ll be getting paid an incredible sum of money to do it. So, while NBC was a bit harsh, I don’t feel THAT bad for her.
I agree absolutely. Ann is a wonderful “features” reporter who tells the story succinctly and compassionately, but she is not a strong interviewer in a one-on-one situation. As a journalist, it bothered me immensely when she would say: “Don’t you think….?” She didn’t want the interviewee’s opinion, she wanted the interviewee to agree with her. Besides my disappointment in her, I was disappointed with the “Today” show for not helping her get rid of that very annoying tendency. That said, she was a very strong field reporter and will undoubtedly shine in that role.
Having Ann Curry exit the TODAY show is just a crying shame.
She brought grace and charm to the morning newscast and I think NBC should be ashamed at themselves as to how they handled this.
I don’t care for Savannah and her grating voice and Savannah won’t fix the ratings. I am so very sorry to see Ann go and what a big mistake- shame on you NBC – you show no class at all!
so sorry to see Ann go, she was a class act. I hope they don’t replace her with Savanah Guthrie, she’s awful. She doesn’t hold a candle to Ann.
I didn’t watch today with Katie, watched with Meredith & Ann & won’t be watching with Savanah.
Ann, you should have left NBC!
NBC– Didn’t you learn anything from the Conan debacle?
Ms. Curry, you’re a class act, a fantastic reporter/host & no, the ratings slump was NOT your fault.
Awkward.
I expect nothing less from NBC. They didn’t want her in that anchor seat to begin with. They passed her over in 2006, but she stuck around, finally got the anchor chair and they got rid of her as soon as they could justify it.
Meredith Vieira made a wise decision not to come back to this.
Sounds like her new contract will provide multiple additional venues for viewers to reject the work of Ann Curry.
An absolute class act, cannot BELIEVE they let her go. She was my entire reason for watching the show. I can’t watch it anymore knowing that someone who contributed so much grace and wisdom was kicked to the curb this way.
She’s a solid reporter who just wasn’t perky and pretty enough for morning TV. She was never genetically designed for Today she should be doing investigative reporting for Dateline.
Extremely hard to watch this brilliant and classy news anchor leave in this manner. NBC has made another huge mistake.
I think this is a mixed blessing for Ms. Curry – she will shine in her new role while Today continues to drop in ratings.
I will start channel-surfing tomorrow for my new morning news program.
This is yet another sad and pathetic example of how NBC treats its talent. They have no regard for loyalty at all. Ann Curry earned that job and she should have been allowed to take as long as she needed to get comfortable in it and excel, as she no doubt would have. Were Jane Pauley and Katie Couric instant hits? I doubt it. Good for her, though, for going out with style and panache. And screw NBC…they should be ashamed.